This morning I got up and reached for my glasses, only to find that the frames had broken. The ear piece snapped off, and the optometrist says that they can’t be repaired. Naturally, my spare pair of glasses (which I never wear) somehow managed to get bent when I moved a year ago without me noticing. The optometrist bent them back, but for whatever reason the right lens isn’t sitting quite right, so I’m having trouble seeing. I’m doing my best, but it’s a struggle. I wasn’t aware that Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts was associated with alternative history, but apparently it must be so. According to the Vineyard Gazette, Chilmark selectmen approved a request by America Unearthed to film a segment for the show on May 2 and 3 on the boat of charter captain Scott McDowell. The vote was unanimous. I only knew of Chilmark as Fox Mulder’s home town on The X-Files.

As I understand it, there is an alleged dolmen at Martha’s Vineyard that was the subject of New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA) research in the 1970s. The “Chilmark Dolmen,” “Chilmark Cromlech,” or “Quitsa Quoit” is a small stone structure comprised of a flat, oval-shaped capstone supported by several small stones. It’s probably colonial, from what I’ve read, but not much is known for sure. At any rate, it is orders of magnitude smaller than the European Neolithic dolmens or cromlechs to which it has been compared. Some have tried to make it a Norse burial marker, but even alternative types can’t agree on that since many want it to be Neolithic or Irish. Additionally, some claimed that a passage in the saga Flateyjarbok details Leif Ericson’s voyage to Nantucket, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard, though this is of course a matter of interpretation. It depends on how much weight you place on the “elbow shape” of the land and the uniqueness of Martha’s Vineyard’s shoals. In 1926, a rock was discovered on nearby Nomans (or No Man’s) Island which allegedly had the runic-Latin hybrid inscription “Leif Ericson 1001” and “Vinland.” The Navy took control of the land during World War II and used it for target practice until it became a nature preserve in 1996. In 2003, Scott Wolter traveled to the island to find the rune stone. It was partially submerged, but Wolter found it and wrote about it in his 2005 Kensington Rune Stone. “I am absolutely convinced that Vinland is the area around Martha’s Vineyard and Nomans Land Island,” Wolter stated in 2008. Is this possible? It is just possible that the Vikings traveled that far south, but the complete lack of any archaeological presence similar to L’anse-aux-Meadows, the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America, argues against Martha’s Vineyard being Vinland. As I’ve mentioned before, the assumption that Vinland—the land of grapes and/or meadows—was so far south of Newfoundland derives entirely from ignorance of climate change and the fact that in 1000 CE, during the Medieval Warm Period, Newfoundland was much warmer than it was when the first alternative theories were proposed, during the Little Ice Age that lasted into the 1800s. Because early scholars knew of Canada only as an icy waste, they could not fathom that the Vikings could have found a warm, comfortable environment. Reaction from scholars to the No Man’s Island stone was almost uniformly critical. The rock features both runes and what Wolter called Roman numerals (actually numeric runes), something not typically found in genuine Viking inscriptions. Wolter, however, told Jeff Belanger of Weird Massachusetts (2008, p. 38) that he had no trouble with this detail because—wait for it—the Kensington Rune Stone had the same thing! The trouble with that is that the Rune Stone uses the numerals differently than any known European inscription. Calendar runes are “cumulative,” meaning that, like Roman numerals, there is one numeral to represent a two-digit number, such as fourteen. However, the Rune Stone lists numbers as digits, writing fourteen with the runes for 1 and 4 (two separate runes). This style is simply not used in European runic calendar inscriptions until Western (Arabic) numerals were introduced, and even then Arabic (digital) positioning was never used with runic figures, only Arabic numerals. (See Stephen Chrisomalis, Numerical Notation: A Comparative History, Cambridge University Press, 2010, 131.) [Update: Note, however, as Gunn references in the comments below, that Richard Nielsen has identified an earlier Arabic-formatted runic inscription; however, this does not bear on the question of the Nomans Island stone.]

The No Man’s Island inscription, however, is not even this complex. It simply uses “MI” (1001), a Roman numeral, and such numerals do not appear in conjunction with runes. (Imagine, for example, writing your name in English but using Greek for the date.) The No Man’s Island stone is widely believed to be hoax, according to academic experts in Norse history and Norse runic inscriptions. Professional historian F. Donald Logan reported that a hoaxer from New Bedford was widely suspected of faking the inscription (Vikings in History, Routledge, 2005, p. 79). Additionally, Stephen Chrisomalis declared it an “undeniable” forgery based on the fact that the stone uses the wrong style for recording the year. Wolter, as we saw, has no trouble with this because he believes that the Kensington Rune Stone (nominally dated 361 years later) is somehow proof of the authenticity of the “earlier” inscription. It sounds like we’re in for another attempt to rehabilitate a hoax.

The use of substitution numbers (pentadic numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 6 and 8) for Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 14,
22 and 1362) on the KRS has its separate issues. The form of the KRS pentadic numbers has been
criticized since its discovery as not corresponding to the pentadic forms reported by Ole Worm, but these
forms are now verified by the Danish pocket calendar from 1530 never mentioned by Worm.
Glosecki (1998) stated, “It is a fact that it is the pentadic date that ultimately discredits the stone [KRS]
…. While pentadic numbers were indeed used in medieval Europe, they were not used with Arabic style
place value…. This objection, still unassailable, figures in the work of Erik Wahlgren from the 1950s to
his last definitive statement in Medieval Scandinavia [Wahlgren 1993: 352].” However Glosecki had no
knowledge that the 13 (Ẅ) and 14 (ẅ) of Kingigtorssuaq of 1314 are eerily similar to the pentadic 13 (13)
and 14 (14) of KRS purported to be from 1362.

Reply

Gunn

4/19/2013 12:32:24 pm

What I'm saying, Jason, is that it looks like your reference from the blog heading discussion is outdated...by one of those referenced (Nielsen). This also is from Richard Nielsen's scientific paper (2012), linked above. It discusses a runestone found in Greenland, and the KRS:

"9. Kingigtorssuaq would be the oldest use of Arabic placement in a runic inscription. Its use of the
Perpetual Calendar is preceded by the G 158 inscription at Gothem Church in Gotland dated at 1305 by
this method (Snædal 2002:142).
10. Arabic placement could be correct for 1362 on the KRS. The early use of pentadic numbers is another
matter and they are discussed in Figure D2.
11. There is ample evidence that Arabic numbers and their placement features were known in Iceland from
the latter half of the 13th century and in Norway and Denmark from the beginning decades of the 14th
century."

Jason said: "...this does not bear on the question of the Nomans Island stone."

No, it doesn't. I guess my point is that it does bear on the question, though, about the authenticity of the Kensington Runestone.

The bottom line is this: So far, it hasn't been proven to be either genuine or a hoax. Fair is fair, right?

But I can see how devastating its authenticity could be to protectors of "acceptable, established" history. I think, so far from what I've seen on this blog and on America Unearthed, the KRS comes in as the front-runner in having the potential to upset pre-Columbus American history.

But thanks to Jason's blog, I'm now willing to throw Henry Sinclair and the Templars overboard, if necessary; but if they behave, I'll let them cling onto my floating paradigm for the time being.

Scott Wolter gets to walk the plank...yes, wearing that over-sized necklace with the Hooked X. Yet, he goes knowing that at least a stonehole was named after him. Like two peas in a pod in this honor, Jason also has a stonehole named after him. (The horror.)

(Time to get my special poop-guard hat back on...listen!...I think I hear an incoming gaggle.)

Jason I will make one thing clear to you Im good at what I do for a living and if you talk shit one more time about America unearthed I will send out a Wolf pack I always get what I want trust me you your self can't run from me and you do not want to go toe to toe with and my wolf pack love your biggest fan the Grim Reaper

Reply

The Other J.

4/21/2013 11:14:13 am

What... the hell. So is this just an open threat on the blog? Or an inside joke? Sounds like a joke, even if it's a threat.

This post was the first in many months that reminded me of the horrors of uncontrolled myopia. I can't read 12-point font over 9 inches away with my naked eyes. I empathize with you.

Reply

Thane

4/19/2013 11:49:59 am

I don't know.....it's an eery coincidence.....especially after Martell warned you about your "Malevolent Energies." That was his phrase, wasn't it?

Could it be possible that Jason's "malevolent energies" broke and twisted his glasses? Could it be that these "malevolent energies" turned against him and struck him "blind" as a sign that he CAN'T SEE THE TRUTH?

Or, could it be, that some extra-dimensional force is trying to WARN Jason and those around him of imminent dangers?

But some other Ancient Alien Theorists speculate that the glasses were broken during an 'abduction; that went wrong. So very wrong that both pairs were damaged.

Could extra-dimensional beings be instructing aliens to break Jason's glasses AT THE VERY BEHEST OF JASON MARTELL?

It is documented that Jason Martell DID send a notice to his fan base to tell Jason Colavitio just how wrong he is and how BLIND he is to The Truth.

Coincidence? Some say not.

Reply

Paul Cargile

4/20/2013 01:24:49 am

No, no, no. It was time travel intervention. Jason is best advised to scan the room for chronoton radiation. I think you can make such a scanner from a microwave oven and a voltmeter, after you meditate for the blueprints, if there isn't already a phone/tablet app.

Reply

Thane

4/20/2013 12:25:49 pm

Don't forget to wear the tin-foil hat!

Paul Cargile

4/20/2013 01:08:48 am

"But I can see how devastating its authenticity could be to protectors of "acceptable, established" history. I think, so far from what I've seen on this blog and on America Unearthed, the KRS comes in as the front-runner in having the potential to upset pre-Columbus American history."

What upset would that be as it is acknowledged and accepted that Vikings "discovered" the America's prior to Columbus anyway? Even if Vinland was the coast of Florida, or if any other non-aboriginal travelers verntured to the America's prior to 1492, it doesn't change anything other than history books. It's not going to change our national identity. Or our foreign policy. It's not going to lead to the dissolving of the United States to become a Norwegian colony, or to prompt ancestoral European Americans to emmigrate back to Europe. I'm not saying these are Gunn's claims, but we've seen this idea that if established and known history is found to be wrong because of some critical discovery, that the status quo and world order would be gravely disrupted in that those that hold power would no longer do so. I'm not buying it. It's a weak argument. It's not like the Papacy collasped after heliocentrism was adopted. And it wasn't adopted because it was alternative, and thus alternative views also had a right to be considered in the claim of fairness and diversity, it was adopted because it was proven to be true.

Thus far, there hasn't been suffencient evidence to support pre-Columbian landfalls and settlements other than what has already been established. If such evidence is found, people will accept it as part of the historic record, just as we accept and include Viking discoveries of Greenland and Newfoundland.

Somehow Canada managed to survive the discovery of L'anse-aux-Meadows and did not suddenly become the Sinclair-Jesus Holy Bloodline monarchy of the North.

Reply

Gunn

4/20/2013 02:38:29 am

Paul says: "...it doesn't change anything other than history books."

But, then, at least you said truth is important.

I think what you're missing is the excitement generated in the search. I don't personally believe it will change any ill-perceived global power network when the KRS is finally accepted by mainstream America as genuine, but the excitement of seeing American history change dramatically cannot be overlooked...unless one is not excited by history in the first place.

I don't need the Henry Sinclair story or the Knights Templar for my continuing interest in the KRS. At one time, going back just a short while, neither the Sinclairs nor the Templars played any part in the puzzle-game at all. I'm willing to go back to 1898 and just take the runestone message for what it says. I'm a KRS purist.

I don't care for unnecessary "attachments" to it, anyway. It makes the best sense by not adding anything to it. An example would be the King Magnus search party nonsense. The newest, best translation of the message says nothing about a search party, and a different reason is given entirely.

This ongoing inquiry through Jason's blog has helped to clarify things in my mind, and it has everything to do with taking the runestone message for exactly what it says. For instance, there is no need to consider that it was carved elsewhere and brought to the site. The latest, best translation refers to a peninsula-island, which is exactly what the physical, geological location is. It was carved on location.

I've read various accounts of how the ten men died, too...total nonsense. For example, some (including Wolter) speculate that they died of disease. This does not work, because the message says twenty men were camped a day's journey north of Runestone Hill, and when half of them came back from fishing, they found the others dead and red with blood. I cannot imagine twenty men camped together one day, and the next day only the ten that remained at the camp dying...and so suddenly! This does not work, and it is only adding to the message of the runestone.

Too much has been added to the KRS over the years, especially grievous the image of Vikings mooring ships at Runestone Hill. Again, this is preposterous, as a quarter of a millennium separates the runestone from Vikings...not to mention the absurdity of ships sailing around on land masses a mere 650 years ago!

All these ideas, and more, have been attached to the Kensington Runestone, improperly. Instead of its history becoming clearer, it became fuzzier, and fuzzier, and fuzzier. Big Ole the Viking statue stands proudly a stone's throw from the Runestone Museum. The museum sells more Big Ole trinkets than anything else, I believe I read on their site.

The city of Alexandria is acting in a shameful manner concerning their custody of the Kensington Runestone, and the Kensington Runestone Park is promoting obviously false information...like about the Paul Knutsen fake search party information, and also about those rascally stoneholes in rocks...definitely not for either blasting or for mooring ships!

We need to become KRS message purists, then we may get somewhere on this mysterious stone document from Minnesota's medieval past.

Reply

Varika

4/24/2013 06:47:12 am

Every time this argument ("The entire world will be shaken due to this shocking change of history!") I am reminded of a Clive Cussler book. Sahara, I think it is, though I could be wrong on the title. In it, the heroes discover a Confederate ironsides ship in the middle of a desert, containing the corpse of Abraham Lincoln who had not, apparently, been assassinated but instead kidnapped and held hostage, and a body-double put in his place in DC, who was then assassinated in his place. One of the characters starts freaking out and demanding how they are going to hide this because OMG it will DESTROY AMERICA! And the main hero goes, "Pfft! Not hiding it, won't destroy America," and then follows description of how they take the body home and bury it with honors and--most importantly--EVERYONE GETS ON WITH THEIR LIVES.

I love that part. I really do. While new discoveries in archeology can certainly shake up the scholarly community, for the most part, the further back in time you go, the less impact events have on the here-and-now of daily living. Even if we did suddenly find that the Knights Templar DID move here with the riches of all Europe and the Holy Grail itself for actual fact (Ha! Oh, that makes me laugh just to type), the biggest impact on daily society would be....the squabble over what museums and religious institutions had rights to the artifacts.

Alternative history "theorists," in my opinion, really just have self-esteem issues, so that no matter what they've managed to accomplish, they don't feel like it's important enough so they have to have this thing that would SHATTER SOCIETY or else they can't feel good. ....even though NOTHING that any alternate history theory, or even AA theory, would have the kind of impact they want so desperately to believe it would.

And that's just really sad.

Reply

Gunn

4/20/2013 03:49:44 am

Jason, I am not immune. My children's book, which I avoided mentioning on the blog here, suddenly went from several 5-star reviews to a lowly 1-star review. I guess this is a laughable way to try to inflict "harm." It must be something I said, here!

"Gunn Sinclair takes eurocentrism to new heights in this hilarious book! As an active advocate for inherently biased and racially charged alternative history Gunn has created here a narrative that appeals to the reader intellectually ill-equipped to distinguish fact from fiction in an effort to legitimize scientifically proven hoaxes that seek to entirely erase Native American history in the Great Lakes region. Seemingly written in an afternoon and easily laughable at a fourth grade reading level, you'll love using it as kindling!"
_________________

Though fairly laughable, I asked Amazon to remove it, suggesting that it was probably a slam continuing from Jason Colavito's blog. It's the familiar racist theme I've seen here.

This evil-doer is wrong about the reading level, too, as I believe it comes in at the reading level intended, about mid-teen. I wrote the book to accomplish two goals: (1) to show that the KRS is not a Viking document, (2) to show that stonehole rocks were not for mooring Viking ships. My intended audience was impressionable youths.

I believe I accomplished my goal last year, as the Alexandria area is flooded with this unusual adventure novel. I've gotten some very good comments on it in person and online, and so far only one bad one, probably stemming from this blog.

Reply

Gunn

4/20/2013 08:03:57 am

If the comments left at the Amazon site came from a person regularly visiting this blog, also regularly attacking my posts with accusations of racism, this begins to morph into something very much against the law, inasmuch as it becomes a pattern of purposeful harassment involving slander.

The points of slander are emerging quite clearly, and they involve constant public accusations of racism. The trains-of-thought are generally twisted around in a psychologically bewildering manner, in the end making no sense. It is a strange extrapolation process in which archaeological hoaxes are predetermined, positively, without question, and anger is projected at America, White People, and God, not necessarily in that order.

I suspect possible demonic forces at play, coming against the Word of God and the shed blood of Jesus. The Word of God never fails to lift the evil face skyward in mockery. Talking about blood seems to rile the spirit. Maybe it was all this Jesus "bloodline" nonsense. Anyway, this will continue to play out in the spiritual realm...far away from blogs and book reviews.

Reply

Beloved Elf

4/21/2013 06:40:06 am

If you purposely avoided mentioning your children's book, how would your nagative review come.from someone who reads this blog? Just curious.

Reply

Gunn

4/21/2013 07:09:01 am

Hi Beloved Elf, I had a longer name, Gunn Sinclair, during the first half of my time on the blog. An internet search would bring up the book, which wasn't previously mentioned. Also, I used to have the book listed on my personal website: www.hallmarkemporium.com/discoveries, so one could have seen it there, before I removed it.

The book isn't really that important to me, as I only wrote it to help show younger locals here that Vikings had nothing to do with the Kensington Runestone, and that all the many un-blasted stoneholes were not for mooring ships.

By the way, anything else was "extra," and I now see that the Templars quite possibly had nothing to do with the runestone...though they aren't completely out of the picture yet, either.

I did make a mistake of giving Scott Wolter too much acknowledgement in the beginning of the book...inasmuch as his view of the meaning of the hooked X has now been rendered inappropriate by experts in scientific inquiry...and more than inappropriate by Christians everywhere, as he tried to turn a somewhat common medieval Christian symbol into a symbol expressing a physical child of Chirst (the hook on the X). Obviously, that is totally excessive baggage to add to the KRS, when serious people are trying to prove its authenticity....

Christopher Randolph

4/24/2013 04:26:00 pm

Gunn -

If I'm going to trash any of your books on Amazon I'll be doing it under my own name. (Actually this would require me reading any of your books to begin with, unlikely to occur.) Perhaps the fact that multiple people in multiple venues find your hypotheses to be driven by eurocentric fantasies should give you pause.

In general, no. There are a very few scattered reports of some Inuit who arrived in Northern Europe in the Early Modern Period after being blown off course, and one Inuit boat is preserved in Scotland to this day. You can read more about this in my article "Did Native Americans Discover Europe in 60 BCE" in the articles section of my website.

Reply

Paul Cargile

4/21/2013 01:19:30 am

That was my speculation.

Gunn

4/21/2013 04:34:26 am

I provide this recent communications with Amazon to let followers of this blog know about possible legal ramifications to slander and threats coming to and through this blog. Clearly, people are crossing the line. I hope Jason follows through with reporting to authorities all threats made to him. We have seen the results of cyber-bullying, and it is being addressed seriously. If I am able to put the proofs together, I intend to file a lawsuit against someone who has posted on this blog. We will see what cruel bluffing is all about, when it enters the courtroom. (I'm glad my degree is in Criminal/Social Justice.)
_________________________________

Marlon M, representing Amazon,

Thank you for your speedy response. This review in question is saying that the basis of my book is racism, which is improper. Furthermore, the review was meant not as an honest review, but as slanderous harassment. You are requiring that I prove this in court before you will remove this review?

I have a better idea. Please send me information about how I can most quickly and effectively remove this title "Templar Eclipse at Runestone Hill" from Amazon...completely, with no trace of it for sale, including Kindle.

I am a Vietnam-era veteran who believes in free speech, but allowing someone to pose as a reviewer and spew slanderous material towards an author is not free speech...it is harassment. If necessary, I will include Amazon in an upcoming lawsuit, in which you will be tied in with Jason Colavito's blog in this matter. An analysis is currently being performed on the language used to cross-reference with the recent Amazon review, to show proof of repeated harassment and insinuations of racism.

Will Amazon allow an author to be publicly, falsely attacked as a racist in a book review? At what point will Amazon be held responsible for allowing this? I repeat, remove everything to do with this title as soon as is practicable if nothing can be done, fairly, about removing this bogus, intentional slam carried over from a blog.

Amazon was used by this fellow, yet you do not seem willing to deal with this ethically and fairly. Please either reconsider, or take action to remove the title. Possible court action will follow, as I will not allow myself to be publicly bullied in this fashion. Amazon has no business being a participant in internet bullying.

I've read the review titled "Revisionist garbage," for the book titled "Templar Eclipse at Runestone Hill." I understand your concerns, but the review doesn't violate our posted guidelines, so I'm unable to remove it in its current format.

However, as the author of this title, you can provide feedback about this review by voting or commenting on it. To vote, click the "Yes" or "No" buttons next to "Was this review helpful to you?" To comment, click the Comments link at the bottom of the review.

We try to encourage our customers to give their honest opinions on our products while staying within our guidelines. As a retailer we are interested in cultivating a diversity of opinion on our products. Part of that is allowing our customers to air their honest thoughts on items they have received. Here's a link to our guidelines for reference:

---------------
04/20/13 17:05:46
Your Name: Robert L. Voyles
Comments:Hello, I would like the negative and potentially illegal review removed from the Amazon page for "Templar Eclipse at Runestone Hill" as soon as possible.

This is a children's book and the "reviewer's" comments are out of place, most likely coming as retribution from a blog run by Jason Colavito, in which other slanderous charges of racism have been made against me, the accusations being completely baseless.

This person's review here on Amazon comes as harassment, and if necessary, I will make the legal connection to the Colavito blog and show a pattern of repeated false and slanderous insinuations.

Thank you for your concern about purposely abusive book reviews, meant to do harm.

Reply

Bryan

4/21/2013 06:50:10 pm

Bob Voyles (aka Gunn Sinclair) , here is some advice from an artist. I have participated in many forms of art (painting, theater, film etc.). As such I am familiar with both positive and negative reviews. I love the positive reviews and the negative ones I listen to what is said and try to learn from it. One thing I don't do is take it personally. When I was working on my MFA there was constant critiquing of my work from both faculty and my peers. If I had taken it personally I would have never made it through. Instead I learned a great deal from it, even when it was harsh. By taking criticism personally and by not attempting to learn from it and to see if there is posibly some validity to it, you will spend all your time and energy on something that does not really matter. Ultimately you will end up stiffening your creative energies.

That being said, your diatribes make you sound like a nut who probably could use some professional help. I have dealt with your kind of personality before. You don't listen to what anyone else says to try and bring logic and reason into a conversation, take offense to the tiniest insult or criticism, spend all your time and energy railing against it to the point where people stop listening to you. Due to your fixation and obsession with one negative review, regardless of the circumstances behind it, you have now completely alienated others to the point that you are completely ignored.

The only reason I am responding to your post is that I am new to this blog and have not been assulted pby your rambling, irrational diatribes. That being said, from this point forward I will pass over any of your comments and will not respond to your insane babble. Grow up and get over it and stop annoying people with your BS.

Reply

Gunn

4/22/2013 02:50:43 am

You missed the whole point, Byran. It wasn't a real review, it came spilling over from this blog. You don't sound like a very intelligent person, nor are you very nice, either, for that matter..

How's this for nuttiness? I've got my full armor on, and God's watching my back. By the way, you didn't add anything at all to the blog...nothing, just fly-by bird crap. Are you a seagull or a gander? Keep flying...move your unhappy, snarly butt along.

Gunn

4/22/2013 05:20:21 am

Bryan says, from another blog subject here: "Unfortunately, in this technological world, where God is dead, they want to believe what they are being told as a replacement for that dead God."

I AM , the Word, says: Bryan is a FOOL, inasmuch as the fool says in his heart, there is no God.

This is the basis for the contention. Annoying people with BS? BS is in the eye of the beholder, and you, clearly, are not intelligent enough to fear God. You are, in fact, the the Biblical definition of a fool, and any Christian coming to this blog (yes, it does happen) will recognize you as a fool attacking God and God's children, of whom I am only one of many.

I would like to ask that we please refrain from personal attacks, especially religious-themed attacks.

Gunn

4/22/2013 07:19:03 am

Jason, this is from your newest (4/22) blog heading:

"Blah, blah, blah… God… blah, blah, blah…."

Here's the problem. You have a public blog, and you have a very public anti-God view. Your blog attracts quite a few anti-God visitors, as well as a few Christians. I don't need to remind you that America began as a Christian nation, and there are many, many Christians in America. We don't have to lay down by a doggie bowl every time someone says something bad about us.

This person who just attacked me is anti-God, and you are publicly anti-God, so why should anyone be surprised if you should now step in on the ungodly side? You always want to make God a laughing, unscientific matter, yet, you too are defined in the Bible as a fool. It's okay when you and others attack the notion of God, but it distresses you when an ungodly person on your blog is reviled as a fool for acting like one.

Gunn

4/22/2013 07:27:33 am

Also Jason, I can't help wondering why you didn't put a notice on the Grim Reaper. That was an attack, too. Why do you pick and choose? Are you afraid of the crazies, but not afraid of God?

I notice you leave out "blah, blah, blah... evil cult." Gunn, the context I was describing in that blog post was Philip Gardiner's writing, which dropped God in at random intervals to cynically appeal to the religious with claims of revealing hidden truths. I was trying to convey that his argument was little more than random names, including God and evil cults, with negligble ideas around it.

If you are not satisfied with my blog, you are welcome to visit other blogs instead.

I'm not engaging with that fellow. It appears to be someone who has made similar comments to me in the past via email, and reacting only encourages more of the same.

Varika

4/24/2013 07:05:17 am

No offense, Gunn, but do you have any actual evidence that the review came from someone who reads this blog, or are you just jumping to conclusions? "Someone could find me on Google" is not proof that someone DID find you on Google. To be honest, I feel like you're jumping to conclusions that this is "not a real review" and that it's deliberate malice targeting you because of things you've posted on this blog.

Before you flip your wig at me, I will allow that it's possible. Such incidents have happened more than once before, to a variety of people including myself. However, with what you've posted, were I on the jury at your court case, I would have to conclude that you had not met burden of proof that you were being harassed, since the entire review targets the work itself and not the writer and also seems to be a single incident.

Having not read your book--nor even known you had written one--I can't say whether or not I would agree with the review, but I CAN say that a review like this is not the least out of place on a children's book. As a teacher and as a godparent, I choose my children's books carefully to reflect scholarly history and science to the best of my knowledge. Therefore, knowing that a work was using badly-researched, debunked myths would, in fact, be important to me. As I said, not knowing ANYTHING about your book other than what this one negative review says, I am not and CANNOT judge your work. I'm only giving my opinion on what you have specifically revealed here.

If you do have proof that can link it to a specific person here, at least let it be known that you do, even if you can't reveal it for privacy reasons. So far, you haven't indicated that you can, it's just been a nebulous "they, from that blog over there," which is vague accusation, not proof of anything.

Paul Cargile

4/22/2013 02:24:33 am

Thanks for your Veitnam service Gunn.

Reply

Gunn

4/22/2013 03:10:31 am

Paul, thanks for your kind and timely comment.

I didn't serve in Vietnam, though I served several years during that era ('69 - '76). I joined ten days after I turned seventeen and was sent to S. Korea. I didn't know I had OCD and TS until many years later, and I was able to serve without treatment. One of my proudest accomplishments in life was becoming a buck-sergeant just before turning nineteen, while stationed in then West Germany.

Comments such as those by Byron roll off my back like so much seagull poop. Some elements of society can be very nasty, like those who dared to spit on drafted soldiers returning from Vietnam.

I used to hate society and lashed out when I was young, but now I call things as I see them and move on, even forgiving those who attack me. I pray for those who are mean to me now, instead of wanting to get even. I call poop, poop and then pray for them. Many people coming to this blog do not believe in God and they easily become riled and wish to spew forth hate, translated into bird poop. I have a special poop-guard hat I wear while on this blog.

Paul Cargile

4/22/2013 04:37:58 am

You know, I read "-era" and it didn't register. You may not have been in Vietnam, but the war was still on-going.

When I returned from Desert Storm, my uncle thanked me for my service (AF), and in return I thanked him for his Vietnam service and could tell he was emotionally impacted by that appreciation. When on the internet, every time I chance upon a Vietnam (or Vietnam-era) vet, I give them my thanks.

Gunn

4/22/2013 05:28:46 am

Thanks back, Paul. We both know that this freedom of speech here didn't come free.

Christopher Randolph

4/24/2013 04:22:02 pm

Y'know what Gunn? As the son of Vietnam-era veteran who DID do two tours of Vietnam (and was wounded), considering that he and my family have paid for it ever since, it really bothers me that you would repeatedly phrase things to gain sympathy by sounding like you did serve there.

That to me is disrespectful.

By the by, you can now list the spitting-on-soldiers meme on your growing list of historical fantasies:

I think we may have overlooked the obvious. Have you been to Martha's Vinyard in the summer? It's marvelous. If I were in charge of production, I would schedule Martha's Vinyard, Canada and Minnesota in the summer and Georgia, Florida and Texas anomalies in the winter.

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The Other J.

4/21/2013 11:22:55 am

I wonder how difficult it would be to fake some runed-out dolmen stone today, weather it up, and pass it off as Scott Wolter-Certified Ancient.

At the rate he's finding evidence of pre-Colombian everything North-Western European in North America, sending a documented hoax his way for inspection might be a good way of testing his methodology. (That documentation would have to be hidden until his results were revealed.)

It's time to come out of the basement and go get yourself Laid Let's meet up at the Mustang Ranch you can pick Man or women whatever you prefer Money is a problem for you don't worry it's on me Trust me my friend time to come out of the basement and go get yourself late for once

Grim Reaper

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Christopher Randolph

4/24/2013 04:34:48 pm

What we call Arabic numerals (actually more Hindi numerals) were known only to the tiniest handful of multilingual mathematician types around 1000 in Europe. It seems unlikely at best to me that this writing system could have in any way impacted people who spent a good deal of their lives on the farthest-flung fringes of northern Europe, and west to Iceland and Greenland.

Was it common for Vikings to have their names and a year (and nothing else) carved on a rock everywhere they went? This sounds more like the behavior of dimwits who want to prove someone was somewhere a particular year than any sort of rational human behavior.

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Brent Dudgeon

5/14/2013 06:54:47 am

Jason/readers
,
Hello. I am a Christian, and I just wanted to say that I don't see your blog as anti-God. Furthermore, I appreciate your fact-based approach to the subjects you discuss and honest, logical thought in general.

Gunn is entitled to his opinion, and I appreciate his service- truly. But he doesn't speak for me, my mentality, or my worldview. Nor those of any of my (Christian or not) friends.

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Bad Columbus

1/12/2014 12:24:27 am

Much ado about nothing.

It's clear the "Vikings" were in Greenland, Newfoundland way before Bad Columbus. I could be mistaken but if Newfoundland is North America Bad Columbus has clearly been usurped as the man that discovered the Americas.

Having personally seen a couple sites that suggest the Nordic culture was deep into America far before Bad Columbus was a wet dream, the issue of what group of people found America after "Native American's" is moot.

The Vikings were here and they adventured. Having clear evidence is nice and it will eventually be recognized, since it's already been obtained, but there is no longer any doubt about which group of Europeans set foot in the America's first.

Scott Wolter is an intriguing individual. He's out there exploring. He's doing the real thing. Maybe the Nomans Land Stone is a hoax, but studying it with the advancements in knowledge about rune inscriptions might be worthwhile. Either way, it won't change the fact that "They were here".

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Viking Helmet Olan

1/19/2014 12:07:31 pm

The KRS is a fake from my ancestor. As for the weird connection of Martha's Vinyard and Vikings, I found that one hilarious! This show has been going around to colonial sites and native American sites (of which native Americans were indeed here before Columbus or the Vikings). The site of MV didn't even exist before the colonists from Europe in the colonial period. Oh gee it sounds like Vineyard therefore it is. That is not science. Just like when he claims to have connected the Myaans with Miami, also a hilarious one. History has become a comedy channel. The critic here is right. Someone has to debunk these alleged history shows.

I believe the interest in Martha's Vineyard is correct. Mr. Wolter is on the right path connecting these ancient cultures to Martha's Vineyard but why? There is a well known Tribe called the Dogons: these people were nomadic teachers: within their tribe was a special family who controlled the Binou. The last high priest of the Binou was a man name Banna-Ka. Now if you ask the Natives from the area they will tell you the rock set on the Cliffs is where Aquinnah winked at Amma? Well how do they have this name? There are so many similars in the religion that you can't just overlook it. Google the Legend of Katama and the look up Nommos and a picture starts to emerge. All the way up to the MicMac of the North called her Amma or the Great Mother of the sky? So on the Vineyard on Easter Sunday you can watch the translation of Venus like and angel coming out if the water then the Moon sets on the opposite side as the Sun begins to raise. The sun with her brilliant light makes these to heavenly bodies disappear. This is one if the most important events to all Native American wise men. This event was celebrated as the Sun( Amma ), Venus (the daughter), and the Moon( the son) meet for 29 days in this manner. We want to ignore this because of the African connection but Martha's Vineyard has been important to African all the way up to the Underground Railroad?

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[jad]

10/22/2014 07:43:41 am

Humble Oak Bluffs is near the Gingerbread cottages,
and of course Chappaquiddick is just off Edgartown.
If you go due south from the Vineyard & Nantucket
you hit the Gulf Stream as you try to find Bermuda.
Had the Vikings ever hit the Gulf Stream or did they
simply hug the coast in Cog boats if adventuresome?
We know the Nantucket Native Americans sometimes
were into whaling but not with the ferocity of the 1800s.
My own home state and ancestors were Abolitionists...
We thought ill of Taney's Dred Scott decision, and to
us Dan'l Webster "wimped out" like a total "wus" as he
Compromised with Henry Clay. Faneuil Hall has a neat
painting of him near a stone bust of POTUS John Adams.

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J.A Dickey

10/22/2014 06:56:30 am

Reaction from scholars to the No Man’s Island stone was almost uniformly critical. The rock features both runes and what Wolter called Roman numerals (actually numeric runes), something not typically found in genuine Viking inscriptions. Wolter, however, told Jeff Belanger of Weird Massachusetts (2008, p. 38) that he had no trouble with this detail because—wait for it—the Kensington Rune Stone had the same thing! The trouble with that is that the Rune Stone uses the numerals differently than any known European inscription. Calendar runes are “cumulative,” meaning that, like Roman numerals, there is one numeral to represent a two-digit number, such as fourteen. However, the Rune Stone lists numbers as digits, writing fourteen with the runes for 1 and 4 (two separate runes). This style is simply not used in European runic calendar inscriptions until Western (Arabic) numerals were introduced, and even then Arabic (digital) positioning was never used with runic figures, only Arabic numerals. (See Stephen Chrisomalis, Numerical Notation: A Comparative History, Cambridge University Press, 2010, 131.) [Update: Note, however, as Gunn references in the comments below, that Richard Nielsen has identified an earlier Arabic-formatted runic inscription; however, this does not bear on the question of the Nomans Island stone.]

The No Man’s Island inscription, however, is not even this complex. It simply uses “MI” (1001), a Roman numeral, and such numerals do not appear in conjunction with runes. (Imagine, for example, writing your name in English but using Greek for the date.)

IT MIXES DATES IT MIXES STYLES. IT IMPLIES
A FAMILIARITY WITH GRANADA. WAS IT CARVED
BEFORE CONSTANTINOPLE FELL? BETTER YET,
WAS IT CARVED AS TRADE WITH GRANADA WAS
AT ITS APEX? POPE SYLVESTER II WAS ONE OF
THE BEST EDUCATED AND BRIGHTEST MEN OF
HIS TIME. HE UNDERSTOOD GREEK AND DID OFTEN
CONVERSE WITH INTELLECTUALS WHO WERE PART
OF THE NORTH AFRICAN RENAISSANCE. THE SCRIBE
WHO CARVED THE STONE MIXES THE COLLEGE
LEVEL LORE OF THREE LOCATIONS, THE BALTIC,
THE COLLEGES MEDIEVAL BETWEEN PARIS AND
ROME, AND ISLAM FROM CAIRO OR DAMASCUS TO
ANDALUSIAN SPAIN OR MOROCCO. COULD A MEDIEVAL
TONTINE HAVE A MOST CURIOUS ENCRYPTED SET OF
ACCOUNT BOOKS THAT THE SCRIBE LEARNED BY?

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Brian Dhais

10/22/2014 08:53:17 am

I believe Scott did the right thing ignored scholars and listened to locals? I have done everything imaginable off of NoMan's Land: Fishing, Lobsta, spear fishing , tropical fish hunting so I will tell you this Capt. McDowell who took him out gave him all the proper instructions! It's not our fault your scholars ok the rock to get bombed to hell though?

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.

10/22/2014 09:53:55 am

Oak Bluffs has quite a history! Unlike today, with ferries
that can go from Cape Cod to either the Vineyard or
Nantucket in under an hour or two, even if a Southern
bounty hunter at the time of the Dred Scott decision
could hire a boat to get to one of our offshore islands,
most of the locals knew how to row out to a precise spot
so as to give folks ample warning. Some houses on the
Vineyard are winterized. Folks did stay all year in the 1800s.

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I'm an author and editor who has published on a range of topics, including archaeology, science, and horror fiction. There's more about me in the About Jason tab.